Blog Highlights
Our future landscape section explores how elevator are transforming cities all over again and how designers are rethinking the vertical landscape. Get inspired by the most innovative projects from around the globe.
Frank Lloyd Wright's design for Crystal City was a visionary concept for a vertical city, comprising of interconnected skyscrapers and underground spaces. The renderings of this unbuilt project, brought to life by architect David Romero, show a complex of interconnected buildings that would have risen high above the city, connected by a network of elevators and internal highways.
Elevator rides at Disney World and Disneyland are a type of theme park attraction that involve passengers riding in an elevator-style vehicle to a specific destination, often with a theme or storyline incorporated into the ride experience. These attractions can range in intensity and thrill level, and may be suitable for riders of all ages or may have height or age restrictions.
Heatherwick Studio’s new ultra-luxury residence in the heart of Singapore's Admore Draycotta Area is a tranquil vertical palace of natural beauty. With an abundance of sensuous spaces, the building blossoms out of the city into a soaring vertical landscape.
An invitation from the worlds leading architect splashed Frank Lloyd Wrights name across newspaper headlines around the globe in the summer of 1956. The Mile High Building written in bold black ink and Wrights signature Red Square dominated a full page spread hailing the public to a press conference where Wright himself would unveil the design for a supertall skyscraper in Chicago.
Staged with bold black panels along the main wall, the Assembly Room was furnished with custom Wrightian ottomans along with long plywood tables. Throughout the room other notable projects were put on display as part of the Sixty Years of Living Architecture exhibition showcasing the vast and capable work of the accomplished architect.
Unpacking all the inscriptions Wright included in the drawings, one will find that the project is not just the design of a building, but a history of architecture. From the Great Pyramids and Eiffel Tower to the Empire State Building, Wright was placing The Illinois in the timeline of grand monuments.
In addition to being one of the most innovative architects of his day, Wright also dabbled as an urban planner. He saw design of modern cities as posing a serious problem; they were dense communities overly populated with people who didn’t have enough space to live fulfilling lives. While the other modernists like Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe were masterplanning dense urban cities and cookie-cutter towers of glass and steel, Wright was envisioning a broad utopian countryside with pockets of soft density spaced out between urban forests and agricultural land.
The Kasumigaseki Building, also referred to as the National Education Center is situated in Chiyoda district in Tokyo. As Japans first skyscraper, the distinguished building stands out for its architectural brilliance and massive height along with innovative building technologies.
The State of Illinois Center, one of America’s most debated public buildings has inspired and outraged citizens and critics since its opening in 1985. Designed by architect Helmut Jahnan, the James R. Thompson Center was completed almost only 35 years ago is in threat of being destroyed.
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Experience the magic of the Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA) elevators by Heatherwick Studio. These custom glass elevators celebrate the historic silos, reinventing the vertical journey. With transparency and interplay of light, they offer captivating views and a revitalized museum visit. Discover how Heatherwick's innovative design creates a transcendent experience, merging art and architecture in a mesmerizing way. Step into the MOCAA elevators and be transported to a world where history and modernity seamlessly intertwine.
Waves of stone ripple around the corners of a Hong Kong shopping centre renovated by British designer Thomas Heatherwick. Pacific Place was originally constructed in the 1980s and is located at the base of four towers, which house offices, hotels and luxury apartments.
The State of Illinois Center, one of America’s most debated public buildings has inspired and outraged citizens and critics since its opening in 1985. Designed by architect Helmut Jahnan, the James R. Thompson Center was completed almost only 35 years ago is in threat of being destroyed.
Rem Koolhaas’s new tower designed for Prada puts movement at its core. A panoramic glass elevator and encasing staircase cuts through the one-of-a-kind building giving visitors wide-ranging views of the compound and the city around it while cantilevering decks allow for different height floors for galleries, cafes, and restaurants. Koolhaas swaps out the standard stacked floor plan with a radical diversity within a simple volume.
While the details aren’t entirely public, it looks like the block is getting a street elevator. The proposed architectural appendage will provide direct access to a rooftop bar and break up the concrete monotony of the block.
Local firm Solomon Cordwell Buenz has conceived a glass elevator shaft to rise up the corner of a 346-metre-high skyscraper in Chicago. The all glass shaft along the exterior will house a pair of double-deck panoramic elevators giving the city an exciting new ride.
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, often referred to as The Guggenheim, is an art museum designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. One of the most iconic buildings of the 20th century, was also one of his last. A reinforced concrete spiral unlike anything the world had seen secured Wright as the worlds greatest architect, but this masterpiece is missing one distinguishing detail that would have changed everything.
In the 1950s, the world's first outside glass elevator was built installed at the hotel to the worlds amusement. From its opening in 1927 through the 1950s, the El Cortez Hotel in San Diego, California. was the most glamorous apartment-hotel in San Diego. The large "El Cortez" sign, which is illuminated at night, was added in 1937 and could be seen for miles.
Nicknamed “The Vessel,” the dynamic structure that has captured the attention of media, designers, critics, as well as visiting and resident selfie hunters alike rose out of the multi-billion dollar Hudsons Yards development in New York in early 2019. At 150ft (45 metres), stairs climb up in every direction providing the public a one of a kind vertical climb unlike anything constructed before.
Built on Treaty One territory, in the Forks historic site in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights stands as a monument to Canada’s pursuit of equal human rights for all. Completed in 2014, and designed by Architect Antoine Predock, its spiralling design takes visitors on an upward journey, progressing from ground to sky, dark to light, to a viewing platform and panoramic view of the sky, city and the natural realm beyond.
Step into the elevators at Stockholm’s newly opened Stadshotell and you’re greeted not by stainless steel, but by luminous intarsia panels crafted by artist Klara Knutsson. Roses bloom in wood grain, cranes tilt above rooftops, and Stockholm’s skyline unfolds in marquetry transforming a silent cab ride into a moment of theatre. In a hotel defined by understated craft and minimalism, these elevators remind us that even the most everyday journey can carry the weight of culture and story.
Experience the magic of the Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA) elevators by Heatherwick Studio. These custom glass elevators celebrate the historic silos, reinventing the vertical journey. With transparency and interplay of light, they offer captivating views and a revitalized museum visit. Discover how Heatherwick's innovative design creates a transcendent experience, merging art and architecture in a mesmerizing way. Step into the MOCAA elevators and be transported to a world where history and modernity seamlessly intertwine.
Louis Vuitton's Fall/Winter 2011 runway show featured vintage elevators as the backdrop, paying homage to the brand's roots in luxury luggage and the grand era of travel. The elevators were 19th century wrought iron birdcage elevators, with an elegant and exclusive atmosphere.
The Richfield Tower is a prime example of a 1920s Art Deco building located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles. The building, which served as the headquarters for the Richfield Oil Company, is known for its intricate details and opulent design. Recently, archive photos and records were discovered that provide a glimpse into the luxurious design of the building's elevators.
Frank Lloyd Wright's design for Crystal City was a visionary concept for a vertical city, comprising of interconnected skyscrapers and underground spaces. The renderings of this unbuilt project, brought to life by architect David Romero, show a complex of interconnected buildings that would have risen high above the city, connected by a network of elevators and internal highways.
Le Dokhan's, Paris Arc de Triomphe is a luxury hotel located close to the iconic Arc de Triomphe. Guest rooms, restaurant, bar, fitness center and exceptional service are offered but what makes this hotel truly unique is its elevator cab, made from a vintage Louis Vuitton steamer trunk, adding luxury and nostalgia to guest experience. Perfect choice for luxury travelers visiting Paris.
Elevators are an essential component of modern buildings and designing an elevator cab interior involves a combination of functionality, safety, and aesthetics. From defining the purpose of the elevator to choosing materials and colors, lighting, adding safety features, wayfinding, branding, and considering the overall aesthetic. It's important to test and evaluate the design, regular maintenance and attention to details.
Elevator rides at Disney World and Disneyland are a type of theme park attraction that involve passengers riding in an elevator-style vehicle to a specific destination, often with a theme or storyline incorporated into the ride experience. These attractions can range in intensity and thrill level, and may be suitable for riders of all ages or may have height or age restrictions.
Ancient elevators such as Archimedes' typically consisted of a wooden platform or box drawn by hemp ropes through a vertical open shaft and powered by men or animals operating a capstan. These devices were used primarily to lift heavy loads such as water or building materials.
Alex Begin of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan loved visiting the downtown J.L. Hudson store in Detroit as a child with his parents. The highlight for him was the over 50 elevators that serviced the 33 levels located on Woodward Avenue. Begin loved watching the elevator operators delivering patrons to their desired floors.
Experience the magic of the Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA) elevators by Heatherwick Studio. These custom glass elevators celebrate the historic silos, reinventing the vertical journey. With transparency and interplay of light, they offer captivating views and a revitalized museum visit. Discover how Heatherwick's innovative design creates a transcendent experience, merging art and architecture in a mesmerizing way. Step into the MOCAA elevators and be transported to a world where history and modernity seamlessly intertwine.